Grain metering device



Nov. 12, 1963 H. D. sEALL-:Y

GRAIN METERING DEVICE Filed June 29, 1951 2 Sheets-Sheet l ll T ly I4 INVENTOR. Haro/d Sed/gy Nov. 12, 1963 H. D. sEALl-:Y

GRAIN METERING DEVICE Filed June 29, 1961 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. Haro/a Sed/eJ/ United States Patent O 3,110,351 .GRAIN METERING' DEVICE Harold D. Sealey, R0. Box 156, Rte. 3, Vermillion, S. Dak.

Filedvlune 29, 1961, Ser. No. 120,646 3 Claims. (Cl. 177-92) My invention relates to a grain metering device.

An object of my invention is to provide a metering device which can be attached to a grain discharge bin, and whereby the operator can readily set the mechanism of the device so that it will deliver only apre-determined amount ofv grain.

A further object of my invention is to provide such a device in which the device can be regulated according to the weight ofthe grain or other material handled.

A further object of my invention is to provide an automatically operated arrangement wherein the devicewill function automatically until it is shut oit.

With these and other objects in view, my invention consists in the construction, arrangement, and combination of the various parts of my device, whereby the objects contemplated are attained, as hereinafter more fully set forth, pointed out in my claims, and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIGURE'l is a plan view of the device with a`frag `r mentary section, 7

VFIGURE 2 isa side view of FIGURE 1,

FIGURE 3 is a sectional view taken substantially along` the lines 3 3 of FIGURE 1, and with fragmentary sections, and Y FIGURE 4 is a sectional view taken along the lines 4-4 of FIGURE 1.

My invention contemplates the provision of a unit which canV be attached beneath a grain bin or the like, and

which can be pre-set to dischargeva certain amount or weight of ygrain and which will then automatically shut oi, and in a unit which can also handle different types of grain. y I Y I have used the character 10 to designate an upper lid Vor top wall vof the device, andattached to the top wall 1 0 Y FIGURE 1) Vis the member '16 to which is attached the n are the vertically positioned ribs 11 which engage the, side anges 12 of a gate member 13 which includes the coiled 4helical spring17 whichis secured at 18 to theflange 19, which flange 19 `is secured to the top wall 10.

The gate 13 includes a centrally positioned longitudinal rib 20 V(see FIGURE 3) which includes an engaging slot 21. f

Engaging the slot 21 is the end 22 which is bent at right angles to the rod 23, the rod 23 being suitablyv journalled as at 24, this rod then continuing into the further portion 25, which portion 25 is pivotally connected at 26 to a link 27 which is pivotallyconnected at 28 to a further link 29 which is pivoted at 30 to the wall 31 ofV the casing 32, which casing includes the walls l33 and 34 as well as a further side wall 35. A spring 36 is attached at37 to a pivoting point 38, which pivoting point provides-means for pivoting the further link 29a tothe vertically positioned strap 39. The spring 36 is attached at 41 to any suitable portion of the casing wall 31.

Y The strap 39 is pivoted as at 42 to the wall 31, and the j strap 39 includes the otffset portion 43 having the sloping edges 44. The character 45 indicates astrap which 'is at 49 to the small pawl 50 which vis-pivote'd at 51 to the strap 45, the point 52v of the pawl being adapted to engage the teeth 53 of the circular member'54.

, secured as at 46 to the wall 31, and attached to theprojected portion 47 thereof isa spring 48 which is secured 3,1 l ,35 l Patented Nov. 1 2, 1 963 ice l]; eriphery,.and being marked up to substantially 17 0, only a portion of these markings being shown for clarity.

Attached to the circulardisc member 54 is a pin 5S. The character 59 indicates a bar which is pivoted on the short shaft 55, and pivotally secured to the bar 59 is the further pawl 60 which includes the lip 61 engaging the teeth 53.

Pivotally secured at 62 to the bar 59 is the rod 63 which is pivotally secured at 64 to the member 65 which is attached to and extends from the strap 66 which is pivotally attached at 67 to one of the vertical angle members 68 which are attached to the wall 32. The pivoting point at 67 can be in the nature of a transverse rod.

The character 69 indicatesa transverse strap portion of a substantially U-shaped member having the integral strap portions 70 extending therefrom, and suitably journalled at 71 within the extremities of the strap portion 70 is a transverse rod 72 which is secured to a plate 73. Merging with the plate 73 are the side walls 74 at either side, and attached across lthe side walls 74 is the medial partition 75, this arrangement thereby providing a double compartment, each being substantially in the shape of a quadrant.

Attached to one of the side walls 74 is a lug 76 (shown 30 in a lower position) and also attached to the same side wall 74 is a further upper lug 77, the upper edge 78 of the upper lug 77 being received between a pair of stop members 79 which are pivoted at 80 to the flange 81.

Pivotally attached at 82 (see FIGURE 3) to one of the side walls 74, or the side wall closest to the viewer in FIGURE 3, is a bar or strap 83 which is pivoted at 84 to the strap 66. A spring 85 is secured at 86 to the ange 87, this spring being also attached at 88 to one of the straps 70.

Pivoted at 89 to the strap 127 is the lengthened bar 90 to which is secured a counter-weight 91. Attached to the side wall 35 at 92 is a strap 93, which strap 93 is spacedslightly from the wall 35, and engaging this strap y93 is an upper U-shaped portion 94 of the member 95,

which includes the inner portion 96 in which is slidably and loosely received the lengthened bar 90, and pivotally attached at 97 to the member 95 is a rod 98 which is pivotally attached at 99 to a strap 100 which is pivotally attached at 101 to the casing wall 35. Solidly attached to the pivoting point at 101 is the pointer 102 having an end lip 103 which is adapted to be received in any one of the openings 104, and marked adjacently to the openings 104 are the indicia 105 which mark the weights of various grains such as oats, sorghum, barley, corn and wheat, etc.

The character 106 (see FIGURE 2) indicates sloping partition walls, thereby providing discharging spaces at 107 at either side, the character 10S indicating adjustable flaps suitably pivoted at 109, which flaps can be secured by means of the straps 110, by means of the mits and studs 111 received in the slots 112, the members 110 being pivoted at 113.

The device operates in the follow-ing manner. YFirst, the pointer 56 is rotated in the direction of Ithe arrow 114 (see FIGURE ,2) until'the pointer isset on any one of the markings 57,-and which marking will correspond to the number of dumps that the device is to make, consistentl with ,the weight of the grain, and yalso `the further pointer 102 is adjusted so that the lip 103 will be locked in any one of the openings 104 consistent with the weight of the gnain, this `action moving the member yalong the bar 90 so that the pivoting or fulcrum point of the. bar

90 at the member 96, fand the weight91 will be affected a consistent with Ithe weight of such grain, so that `a greater or lesser leverage will be provided according to this adjustment, so that the dumping compartments will function at greater or lesser weights. The gate 13 is then pulled out by `means of the handle 14, thereby leaving an opening such as at 114 (see FIGURE 1), which opening will communicate with the upper storage bin and with the slot 21, locking the end portion 22 of the rod 23.

As the grain enters the receptacle A (see FIGURE 3), it will ll 'this compartment until the weight there-of will cause the strap 70 to pivot on the transverse bar 115, which bar is suitably -attached to the vertical Aangle members 68.

At this point, .the lug 7 6 will be at a higher position than that shown in IFIGURE 3 and will be in abutment with the upper edge of the strap 70, rand due to the slight inclination downwardly of both straps 70, and due to the fact that the upper edge 78 of the lug 77 will no longer occupy the space 116 between the members 79, the compartment A will be free to rotate in the direction yof the arrow 117, whereupon the flange 118 will abut 'against the ange 119, and whereupon the grain will flow out of the compartment A through the opening 120 and through the space 107, and will then pass into yany suitable receptacle beneath the casing.

Meanwhile, the further receptacle portion B will be gradually lled with grain, with the lug 76 being positioned within the space 116 until the weight of the grain in the compartment B,will cause the arms 70 to pivot again downwardly, releasing the lug 76, whereupon the over-balancing with respect to the pivoting point 71 will cause the compartment B to pivot in the direction of the l arrow 121 until the corresponding flange 118 at the other side iabuts against the other flange 119, land whereupon the grain will then pass through the iopening at 122 which is now positioned downwardly, and which will discharge the grain by gravity through the space 107 at the left-hand side of FIGURE 2.

It will be noted that during each tripping action, the connection between the side wall 74 at 82 with the bar 8f3, `and with the bar 66 coaacting through the rod 613 and the pawl `60, will cause the member 54 to rotate in the direction of the 'arrow 114 (see FIGURE 2) until the pin surface will cause the bar 39 to pivot at 42 in the direcn tion of the arrow 123. The bar l39 will therefore move the link 29a which is pivoted at 125 to the link 29', which `will thereby move the link 27 in the direction of the arrow 126, which in effect will therefore move the rod 25 and will then cause the end portion 22 to be moved downwardly, thereby disengaging this portion with the slot 21 and -allowing the gate 13 to be spring urged by means of the spring 17 toward the lett, thereby closing the gate and the supply of grain. Y

Tol further describe the structure the strap 127, this strap continues and is pivoted on the bar 67 (see FIGURE 1. A grain metering device comprising a casing, a dumping unit in said casing, said dumping unit including a pair of adjacent compartments for receiving grain therein, `arms pivoted to said casing, said dumping unit being rotatably mounted at the end of said arm-s, latch members pivoted to said casing adapted to lock said dumrping unit, the weight 'of grain in either of said compartments being adapted to swing said yarms downwardly to release said dumping unit from said latches, ya spring attached to one of saidarms and to said casing, one wall of said casing including lugs attac-hed thereto adapted Vto be alternately engaged by said latches, said casing having an upper wall, a gate member slidably engaged with said upper wall, means for closing said gate member under spring tension lafter said dump-ing unit has alternately dumped a predetermined amount of grain. g

2. A grain metering device comprising a casing, a dumping unit in said casing, said dumping unit including a pair of adjacent compartments for receiving grain therein, arms pivoted to said casing, said dumping unit being rotatably mounted at the end of said arms, latch members pivoted to said casing adapted to lock said dumping unit, the weight of grain in either of said cornpartments being adapted to swing said arms downwardly to release said dumping unit from said latches, a spring attached to one of said arms and to said casing, one wall of said casing including lugs attached thereto adapted to be alternately engaged by said latches, said casing having an upper wall, a gate member slidably engaged with said upper wall, means for closing said gate member under spring tension after said dumping unit has kalternately l dumped `a pre-determined amount of grain, including a spring urged detent engaging said gate member, a toothed disc journalled on one of said casing walls, a pin attached to said toothed disc, a vertically positioned bar pivotedto one of said walls having an abutment portion, means for .adjustably positioning said pin to engage said abutment portion after said predetermined number of dumps, index means for regulating said pre-determined number of dumps, said vertically positioned bar being connectedto said spring urged detent.

3. A grain metering device comprising a casing, a dumping unit in said casing, said dumping unit including a pair of'adjacent compartments for receiving grain` therein, arms pivoted to said casing, said dumping unit being rotatably mounted at the end Vof said arms, latch members pivoted to said casing adapted to lock said dumping unit, the weight of grain in either of said compartments being adapted to swing said arms downwardly tovrelease saiddumping unit from said latches, a spring attached to one of said arms and to said casing, one wall of said casing including lugs attached thereto adapted to be alternately engaged by said latches, said casing having `an upper wall, a gate `member slidably engaged Vwith said upper wall, means for closing said gate memberl under spring ytension `aiter said durrnping'unit has alternately dumped a pre-determined amount of grain, including a 4), and pivotally connected tothe bar 127 at 128 (see Y 4mentioned in the objects of my invention.

i Some changesmay be made in the construction Iand f arrangementof the parts `of my invention withoult departing from the real spirit and purpose of my invention, and

it is myintention to cover by rny claims any modified forms of structure or use of mechanical equivalents which may be reasonably included within 'their scope.

I claim las my invention:

spring urged detent engaging said gate member, a toothed disc journalled on one of said casing walls, a pin attached to said toothed disc, a vertically positioned bar pivoted to one of said walls having an abutment portion, means for adjustably positioning said pin to engage said abutment portion after said pre-determined number of dumps, index means for regulating Vsaid lpre-determined number of dumps, said vertically positionedbar 'being connected to said spring urged detent, means for regulating the extent of the ydumping act-ions according to grain `weight in-` cluding a lever, a weight attached at one end of s'aidlever, means operatively connecting said lever to Vsaid dumping unit, means for changing the fulcruming point of said lever, and means for moving said fulcruming point ac-V cording to the Weight of the material to bedumped.

References Cited in the lle of this patent gFonEIGN PMENTSV Germany V Apr. 23, 1959 

1. A GRAIN METERING DEVICE COMPRISING A CASING, A DUMPING UNIT IN SAID CASING, SAID DUMPING UNIT INCLUDING A PAIR OF ADJACENT COMPARTMENTS FOR RECEIVING GRAIN THEREIN, ARMS PIVOTED TO SAID CASING, SAID DUMPING UNIT BEING ROTATABLY MOUNTED AT THE END OF SAID ARMS, LATCH MEMBERS PIVOTED TO SAID CASING ADAPTED TO LOCK SAID DUMPING UNIT, THE WEIGHT OF GRAIN IN EITHER OF SAID COMPARTMENTS BEING ADAPTED TO SWING SAID ARMS DOWNWARDLY TO RELEASE SAID DUMPING UNIT FROM SAID LATCHES, A SPRING ATTACHED TO ONE OF SAID ARMS AND TO SAID CASING, ONE WALL OF SAID CASING INCLUDING LUGS ATTACHED THERETO ADAPTED TO BE ALTERNATELY ENGAGED BY SAID LATCHES, SAID CASING HAVING AN UPPER WALL, A GATE MEMBER SLIDABLY ENGAGED WITH SAID UPPER WALL, MEANS FOR CLOSING SAID GATE MEMBER UNDER SPRING TENSION AFTER SAID DUMPING UNIT HAS ALTERNATELY DUMPED A PREDETERMINED AMOUNT OF GRAIN. 